asked the Minister for Health if he will authorise health boards to pay the full cost of maintenance and treatment to private nursing homes in cases where persons in lower and middle income groups are admitted in an emergency for specialist treatment or where the treatment necessary proves to be much longer than originally anticipated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceistéanna—Questions Oral Answers - Nursing Home Treatment Costs.
5.
Persons eligible for services under the Health Acts are entitled to receive hospital in-patient services free of direct charge in a public ward in a public hospital. Where they exercise a choice and go to a private nursing home or private maternity home, health boards normally pay portion of the cost only. This is an arrangement which has worked well.
Where an emergency arises and a patient is rushed to a private nursing or maternity home for treatment this becomes, of course, a special case. Each such case is considered on its merits, initially by the health board and, if necessary, later by the Minister. While abuses are not permitted, all reasonable care is taken to deal with sympathy with the financial burden of the emergency situation.
As regards duration of stay, health boards pay the daily subvention for up to six weeks stay in a private nursing home or two weeks in a maternity home or such longer period as the board at their discretion may decide. It is open to those whose stay is longer than those mentioned to apply to the health board.